Gold Hill stage stop serves history and fine wine

The tasting room, a former stage coach stop, features picnic grounds with a small stage and large shade trees.

The building's interior retains its historic features.

Del Rio grows 11 varietals offering an array of fall colors.

After a walk around the gold mining town of Jacksonville, Oregon, we found an old stage coach road through the foothills of Jackson County northwest of Medford. It delivered us to a stage stop in Gold Hill, home to one of more than 80 wineries in the area.

We sampled three white and three red varietals accompanied by conversation with the friendly staff in the tasting room at Del Rio Vineyards. Our favorite? The 2015 Viognier. It went well with the sense of history oozing from the old hotel.